This is an excellent time of year to save on the best cheap espresso machine deals. Retail inventories are packed and right now you can good deals on some of the best home espresso machines available today, and we don’t mean a deal on an $11,000 Porsche-inspired espresso maker. We scoured major retailers and manufacturers to find the best cheap espresso machine deals and will update this post regularly.
Today’s Best Cheap Espresso Machine Deals
How to Choose an Espresso Machine
Espresso has an allure, almost a mystique for many people. If you have shopped in Williams Sonoma or other upscale kitchen and cooking supply store or appliance department, you can get the impression that producing an acceptable espresso shot combines both art and science. You may have felt that acceptable espresso requires rocket-scientist-level mastery of a machine with a five-figure price tag and more dials, settings, and spigots than a hospital life-support system. I confess I had that same general feeling of awe until one day on a hike. A fellow hiker pulled a small aluminum expresso maker and a simple Sterno stove from his pack during a lunch break. Within a few minutes he was sipping a fresh espresso double shot and wondering why the rest of us were looking at him with our jaws hanging.
So, the reality is that yes, you can make it complicated, especially if you’re determined to brew any conceivable coffee or espresso drink including lattes, cappuccinos, or whatever else celebrity baristas invent. But if you just want a shot of espresso, you can keep it simple and purchase an inexpensive espresso machine. You can spend thousands if you want, but you can buy espresso makers that turn out fine lattes and cappuccinos with integrated milk frothers for under $300, or even under $200. Here then, are some of the major consideration for choosing an espresso machine.
- Size: If you just want to make a shot or two of plain espresso, a simple stove-top espresso maker like the Grosche Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker Moka pot (the same brand my hiker friend used years ago) will do the trick simply. Most espresso machines only produce the drink a shot at a time, but larger machines give you greater control over the variables including grinding, pressure, temperature and so on. A fancy espresso machine can double as gleaming sculpture, but unless you want to commit to learning how to use it correctly, your money will be invested in kitchen eye candy. There are plenty of midrange sized and priced models that can do the job well with only a dial or two to adjust.
- Capabilities: If you purchase a simple espresso maker all it can do is produce espresso, which is the basic reason most people shop for the devices. You can also buy multipurpose coffee drink machines that can brew espresso or coffee. As you begin to add features such as coffee bean grinders, and precise pressure, time, and temperature controls, the process can get more complicated quickly. For many people, the Nespresso-licensed espresso machines manufactured and sold in the U.S. by Breville and De’Longhi more than meet their needs for coffee and espresso drink varieties and controls. Many Nespresso models include separate milk frothers for latte and cappuccino drinks. You’ll also find espresso machines with attached steam wand frothers.
- Cost: How much do you want to spend? The espresso machine deals we found range from $33 to $580. Of course if you really want a piece of kitchen art, you can spend in the thousands, but if your main goal is to make espresso at home, you don’t have to break your budget to do so.
